Balanced Scorecard Professional Certification Program

Program TracksOverviewWhy Get Certified?ExamRecertificationReviews

Program Tracks

There are two levels of certification. The basic certification level is Balanced Scorecard Professional (BSP) and the advanced level is Balanced Scorecard Master Professional (BSMP). The BSP level includes five days of instruction and the completion of an online exam (see the Exam tab). The BSMP certification includes the BSP program plus a five-day Application course and formal presentation.

The Balanced Scorecard Professional (BSP) Certification is designed for students who do not want to achieve the higher level certification or would prefer to get BSMP Certification at a later date. Follow the BSP program to the right (in green) to become certified. Courses include the BSP Certification Pt. 1: Intro to the BSC course and the BSP Certification Pt. 2: Advanced BSC course. The two courses can be taken together in the same week by registering for the BSP Certification Boot Camp.

The Balanced Scorecard Master Professional (BSMP) status is the highest certification level, and includes advanced balanced scorecard study, and a rigorous application development project and presentation. Follow the entire program to the right (green and blue) to become certified. Anyone already BSP Certified can simply add the BSMP Certification Application Course to become BSMP certified. Alternatively, the entire BSMP Program can be completed at once by taking the 10-day BSMP Certification Course. All courses must be taken in order shown to the right.

Balanced Scorecard Professional Certification Tracks

History

The Balanced Scorecard Institute was the original certifying body for balanced scorecard practitioners. The first program was delivered to an international group of participants in January 2006, and was conducted jointly with George Washington University College of Professional Studies on their campus in Alexandria, Virginia, USA. Since then, Balanced Scorecard Master Professional programs have been delivered four to five times a year at George Washington University and at other locations worldwide and the Balanced Scorecard Professional Program is now offered over once per month!

Balanced Scorecard Master Professional Certification Program

Program Overview

The Balanced Scorecard Professional Certification Program provides participants with background and resources in all areas that are important to lead or participate on a team to build, implement, and sustain a balanced scorecard planning and management system in their organization. The program includes in-depth study of strategic thinking, strategic planning, organization assessment, strategy mapping, performance measures and target setting, strategic initiatives, automation, cascading and strategic management.

This program is based on the Institute’s Nine Steps to Success^TM balanced scorecard framework, and expands on other training workshops with additional process substance in each step, more advanced exercises, one-on-one interaction with senior staff, and additional resource material, software tools and templates.

The program is taught in a highly interactive manner, using lectures, lessons learned, practical examples, case studies, software demonstrations, small-group exercises, a Performance Scorecard Toolkit, software tools and templates, and instructor reviews of participants' existing scorecards. Topics covered by the course include:

Comprehensive approaches to strategic planning, strategic management, performance measurement and target setting, initiative prioritization, performance information systems, and program evaluation
The Institute’s Nine Step methodology for building and implementing balanced scorecard planning and management systems
Organization development practices, such as SWOT analysis, employee assessment planning, customer and stakeholder identification, and balanced scorecard program planning
Modern approaches to strategic thinking and strategy mapping
Communications strategy development and change management aspects of the balanced scorecard journey
Facilitation and coaching skills necessary to lead team workshops in the development of a balanced scorecard system for your organization
How to select appropriate software to collect and report performance information throughout the organization
How to cascade the enterprise scorecard throughout the organization

Program Benefits

This program is made up of hands-on workshops taught by the most senior Institute facilitating consultants, and is designed to enable anyone involved with developing a balanced scorecard system to act as a coordinating change agent/internal consultant to lead and develop a scorecard system. Instructors will work closely with each participant. Participants will learn how to develop balanced scorecards and apply them in their own organizations. Software for planning and performance measurement will be demonstrated to show how information technology can be used to help develop the scorecard system, collect, report, and visualize performance information, and cascade an enterprise scorecard to business and support units, and to teams and individuals. Past participants have raved about the value they received from working side-by-side with other participants, who come from all over the world and various organization types. This sharing of practical experience occurs through classroom discussions, through meet-and-greet receptions scheduled during the week, and in some cases through electronic correspondence long after the course has ended.

But Why Get Certified?

There has never been a better time to accelerate your career in strategic planning and balanced scorecard facilitation, and earning a certification is a great way to do just that. Even if you have been working with balanced scorecards for 15 years, certifications are an excellent way to market yourself and stand out from the crowd. Earning certifications shows a potential employer (and your current one) that you are willing to go the extra mile.

Intellectual Property Note
Certification and training related to the Nine Steps to Success^TM methodology is for internal facilitation and personal use only. Any use of the Nine Steps to Success^TM or other Institute intellectual property beyond internal facilitation use without a formal affiliate or associate agreement with the Institute is prohibited.

Maintaining the BSP or BSMP Designation – Recertification

BSP and BSMP certification holders are required to renew their certifications every three years. Recertification is based on continuing education, contributions to the field, job experience, and a case study with balanced scorecard work examples demonstrating experience gained during the three year period since your last certification. BSI has established a certification committee to oversee the certification program.

Certifications expire on December 31, three years from the year a person originally certified (e.g., if you certified in 2009, regardless of which month of the year, your certification is due for renewal by December 31, 2012).

Annual recertification notices are sent, as a courtesy, in the third quarter of the year in which the individual is due for renewal and an additional reminder is sent at the end of the year. Accompanying the reminder notice will be a link to information regarding the recertification process and instructions to access the recertification application form and guidelines.

Why Get Recertified?

Certification is a great way to accelerate your career in strategic planning and balanced scorecard. Even if you have been working with balanced scorecards for many years, certification is an excellent way to market yourself and stand out from the crowd. Earning certifications shows a potential employer (and your current one) that you are willing to test your knowledge against best practices. Recertification demonstrates that you have continued to apply yourself in the field of strategic performance management and are attuned to new learnings, developments, tools, and techniques. In other words, you are continuing to develop as a professional in this career field.

Steps to Recertification

All candidates must have previously completed the Balanced Scorecard Professional or Balanced Scorecard Master Professional Program (and Exam). See the BSI Certification Page for details. Certifications are valid for three years.
Download the Recertification Application. Rename the file, replacing NAME with your name.
Create a sample of balanced scorecard work you have completed since being certified.
Register on the BSI Recertification Page and upload the completed application and balanced scorecard work sample at the appropriate screen. Submit the application electronically by December 31 of your recertification year.
Remit the $295 recertification fee. The recertification fee must accompany the application and is non-refundable. An applicant will not be considered for recertification without payment. Applicants will be notified within six weeks of recertification approval.

Evaluation Criteria and Scoring

Recertification is based on credits earned while engaged in balanced scorecard related activities. Fifty certification credits are needed to be recertified. The potential and maximum credit levels are listed at the top of each category on the application.

Feedback from past participants:

“The BSI Certification goes far beyond studying the theory & history of a balanced scorecard management system. This course gives individuals the tools necessary to build, implement, and manage a comprehensive tier 1-3 scorecard at their own organizations. The knowledge & skills gained are successful combination of theoretical & practical application that empower students to facilitate construction of this scorecard from the ground up” – Shella Blackburn, Manager Corporate Performance, Mission Essential Personnel.
"The BSP Certification Boot Camp was on enriching learning experience. The case studies and peer interactions helped to turn theory into practice." – David Branch, Director of Business Performance, Constellation Energy.
“This course converted me from a skeptic into a believer” - Thedora Borissov, Manager, Performance and Measurement, BC Oil and Gas Commission.
"I will be sending more of my staff to this [BSP Certification] course" -Steve Jonnes, FBI, Unit Chief - Performance Analysis Unit.
"Best professional course I’ve ever taken! The demands are endless" — Earnest K. Kiano, Deputy Manager, Kenya Power & Lighting Company.
“Finally, a comprehensive approach that makes sense and ties all of our tools together”, Todd Moon, Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau, Chief Operations Service.
“Although we only implemented the balanced scorecard approach a couple of years ago, we have already seen improvements in our operations. The [Nine Steps to Success™] approach helps us focus on our ambitious goal to drastically increase the number of transplants we facilitate by 2015.” - Michael Boo, Chief Strategy Officer, National Marrow Donor Program.
“Change is easy. Transition is more difficult—Balanced Scorecard Institute showed us not only how to change the organization-but more importantly how to manage the change process effectively.” Joe Cernero, Professional Development Manager, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
“We are very pleased with the help provided by the Institute. We are aiming for high revenue targets in a geographically diverse market, and the Institute helped us translate our strategy into something that employees can actually use.” - Laurent Auguste, President and CEO, Veolia Water Americas.